Sign of Life
by missherlocked
Summary: #2. Having twins were hard, especially if one is extremely lazy and another is abnormally genius. Hao was capable of smirking since he was 3 months old-oh well, he had given up reading "Understanding Your Baby Twins" long time ago. HaoYoh.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King. If I do, there will be lots of (and by lots, I mean A LOT) mansex between Hao and Yoh.

qqq

Death, Hao mused, never changed. After experiencing it several times and lived to tell the tale, Hao must have been well-adjusted to the needles-skin-piercing feeling, but in fact he did not. A pain was a pain, and for someone who used to be the cause rather than the victim, the feeling was... _uncomfortable_. Save one time when Anna stole his shinigami, he had been bleeding but it was bearable, but this-

This was not okay. It had never been that way, as long as Hao could remember.

Hao shifted and made himself comfortable-and presentable. At least he should look like what a leader should be when his followers found his body. His _dead_ body.

"Don't whine. I need-I want to do this," Hao said to his spirit, but his words came with a slur. Of course, his soul was half-out of his body.

Contrary to the popular believe that quick death did exist, death would always be slow. It was soul that mattered. There was no quick, merciful death. Hao was an expert on this and he knew what he was saying.

And he was floating.

There was a chain between his corpse's liver and his liver. It looked like an ordinary metal chain, but it served as a link provided to lost souls who were not supposed to die yet. If they were smart enough to follow the link, they could go _home_ and live.

However, Hao was not a lost soul. He had his own purposes and he never intended to come back.

Hao nodded to Spirit of Fire who solemnly grasped the end of his chain. With a tug, Hao was flying, or teleporting, or bending the time and place-no words could describe the moment-and he landed in front of The Gate. Enma still looked the same. And man, he did not seem to be pleased.

"Manipulating death again, ay?" the God of Hell frowned. Hao sent him a spontaneous Hao-smile. "You won that competition-what's the name, Shaman Fight? Now what's the problem this time?"

The mustached God then went grumbling about how foolish humans trying to be Gods and using souls for granted.

"But I am God," Hao said, his lips still curled to a sadistic grin. "I am God. Do you recall our last fight? Perhaps you, of all Gods, should know very well about this fact."

Fortunately for Enma, his skin was green, or he might very well blushed.

"Just get in," Enma barked. "And wear some clothes!"

Hao gave an amused smirk. He thought of himself clothed-and he was clothed in his usual glorious outfit in the next second.

Now all he had to do was wait.

qqq

Hao was surprised to find Matamune just standing there with his pipe, not really looking at him and was totally at ease. He expected at least a snarl or some kind of hostility—no, he didn't even expect to meet Matamune at all.

"You're not planning on coming back to have a title," Matamune said, sounded wiser than the last time Hao had met him. "And when you do, you will not aim for that title. You even will not have any intention to be Shaman at all-so I am out of reason to banish your soul."

The smoke coming out from the cat's pipe was a perfect circle. Hao found himself invisibly relaxed-although he was far stronger than his old cat-and the small ball of fire on his palm disappeared.

"How long is it since I died?" Hao asked, trying to read Matamune's face.

"Oh my," Matamune gasped with a mock sympathy. "If you did not devour every single soul in sight, you might know what's happening on earth."

"I will bring _him_ back with me next time," the black-haired Shaman said, ignoring Matamune's offending tone. "I need to manipulate two births-I need more furyoku."

Somehow Hao was not smiling anymore and Matamune still held his serene facade. Hao was sure he got that from him.

"You seem to be sure that _he_ would be willing to engage in your plan,"

"Of course _he_ wouldn't. Knowing Yoh, he would be too lazy to have another life."

Matamune raised a nonexistent eyebrow.

"After you were gone, Yoh-sama actually had a good life, you know," the cat filled him in. "They had a kid-a quite striking combination of Yoh-sama and Anna-and their onsen was a success-"

"What's the point? I do not wish to know his life with that girl," Hao cut, his voice took a sharper note. "I want to know where he is now."

"Guess, Hao," Matamune made a playful noise.

"Heaven?" Hao guessed half-heartedly, tired. It had been too long since the last time he had such intelligent conversation. When Matamune didn't answer and his mouth formed an angled 3, Hao cheered with a heavy sarcasm. "What a surprise."

Matamune sent him a look and Hao stared back, feeling ridiculously like a child even though he was twenty years older than the cat.

"Sure he is. Yoh-sama is a nice man,"

"How did Yoh die?"

"I do not remember," Matamune replied. "Though I'm sure Anna was involved in that somehow."

Of course that girl was the death of him. Hao had always been predicting that.

"Anyway, he's happy, and completely oblivious to your plan. What are you going to do?"

"I will just drag him out of his paradise," Hao replied off-handedly. "How long is it actually since I died? A hundred year?"

"Throw another century."

"Two hundred years?" Hao asked, blinking.

"Two hundred and twenty two, actually. Quite a number, isn't it?" Matamune blew his pipe. "If you don't even know whether he's alive or not, how would you tell if it was time to drag him from his grave?"

Hao shrugged. "Until I found Heaven's gate. I figure that since I cannot spot it, I'm just not strong enough."

"Oh boy, I'm sure you are strong enough," Matamune eyed Hao warily, taking the shape of fire that blanketed Hao. Its tongue danced angrily across his skin, and Matamune wondered how Hao failed to notice this.

"You will not find the gate, Hao."

It was said with an air of finality that Hao believed it right away, his hand stopped playing with a pebble he was grasping.

"Excuse me?" Hao asked, smiling but his brows met.

"You just cannot change the rule-the gate would not be found by those who do not deserve it. There is no God of Heaven that you can fight and beat so he would let you in (Hao was sure Enma was sneezing somewhere), the gate is its own creature. It was only visible for some people."

The clarification left a dread feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Well... that... changes things," Hao replied, his gears turning to find a way out of this.

The pipe was still on Matamune's mouth, but there was no smoke coming out of the end.

"What are you thinking?" the cat asked, eyes slanted.

"Oh well," Hao found himself smiling again. "I will reincarnate and claim my title once more,"

Matamune began to hate the sound of this. There was that flash on Hao's eyes again, the flash that glinted every time his old master mentioned humans and their destruction.

"I will fulfill my purpose-" Matamune's eyes had grown wide but he wasn't shocked, "-and this news will reach Yoh's ears. I am ninety nine percent sure that my nice Yoh would follow my step to reincarnate and try to stop me once more."

Matamune stood rigid, frozen in place.

"Goodbye, old pet," Hao bid, shrugging imaginary dust. When he was about to turn, Matamune stopped him.

"Who said I would not help you?"

"...in human destruction?" Hao asked. "Enlighten me, Matamune."

Matamune's eyes clenched shut.

"I can see the gate," the cat began. "I can trick Yoh somehow to the reincarnation _torii, _or drag him forcefully. Then you can do whatever you need-want-to do."

"Well, well, I thought you care for your master?"

Matamune's voice was hoarse. "I do. But Yoh-sama would not be happy if humans ceased from earth on his behalf-it's not, but I know he will blame himself-and he would prefer to follow your former plan, whatever that is, as long as others are not hurt."

Hao hummed in reply. Matamune opened his olive-shaped eyes and glared for the first time.

"And you will do well to make him happy on the next life,"

"There's more to it, isn't it?" Hao said. "You won't give Yoh up this easy."

The cat was still for a second, contemplating his reply. "I think," Matamune started. "-you deserve another chance in the pursuit of happiness. You, of all people, should have another chance to love and be loved. Yoh-" he took a higher tone, "is easy to be loved... and easier he is to love. I think he will have a... good life with you."

"A touching speech, Matamune," Hao said in a bored tone.

"Are you still in denial?" the cat snapped.

"No, I love Yoh," Hao answered, almost obsessively that Matamune felt his fur stood, "I'm suspicious that you already put this into a lot of thought before. Am I a puppet in your string, Matamune?"

The answer was no and they both knew it. Hao was a God. No one controlled him.

"What are you waiting for? Get to work, Matamune. I will wait for you in the _torii."_

Hao was about to make a dramatic exit, but Matamune made him pause.

"He will not remember, Hao," Matamune uttered gently, almost in pity. "When Yoh grow up-he will not be Yoh that you know before."

"He might not remember," Hao replied scathingly. "But I will. And Yoh will be too lazy to change his personality-I will make sure of that."

The sky suddenly shifted to a darker black.

qqq

Hao was alive again, breathing a handful of his first air, and he coughed. It was too much for his little lungs and he felt some sticky substance on his throat. The smell of blood and vagina was high in the atmosphere, and he continued to cough.

"Is he breathing?" a worried voice asked, and Hao was lifted on the air upside down. Someone hit him on his back and his eyes flew open. The light was too much and it hurt, so he sobbed. His body only knew how to cry to show discomfort, even though his brain did not.

"He is," a doctor said after putting an index finger in front of his nose and feeling his chest.

A nurse wounded him with a soft towel. Hao tried to move from the maternal embrace to look for Yoh-he had to know whether he had succeeded or not!-but he failed miserably. He tried to grit his teeth but there was only a funny feeling on his gum instead. Damn this baby body.

And then there was a weak cry.

His heart sped up to hear "A healthy boy!" and eyes wide open to the side to catch a glance of Yoh. His wish was granted and a baby came into his view in another embrace, still crying faintly.

"A twin," someone said with a sigh.

Hao wiggled his tiny fingers.

_Perfect_.

qqq

**AN/: Ehm. It's been three years since I read Shaman King manga and I'm sorry if I got a few facts wrong. Two weeks ago I curiously checked fanfiction for Hao x Yoh and was ecstatic to find some! This might have a sequel (making it two-shots), so put an alert if you like. However, I will leave it that way for a moment.**

**Questions, feedback, criticisms are welcome. Happy New Year everybody, this will be my very first New Year in United States (I'm not a native)! **

**P.S.: Unbeta-ed. Need a beta for this story. Anyone? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King. Hao and Yoh aren't walking around naked, are they?**

q**q**q

Hao and Yoh, Yukihira muttered under his breath, tasting the names rolling off his tongue. That sounded good, even though it was not quite the twin names that he wanted. In his mind, twins were supposed to have cute names like Natsume and Natsumi or Rei and Roy. Hao and Yoh rang like two opposite ends in an ancient war, 180 degrees difference in personalities, and it was just some stupid work of a bitch called Fate to make them related. Or twins.

His wife had begged and sobbed regarding the name choices. He still could remember the shaking grip on his wrists and the unstable tone, the raspy whisper of "Hao and Yoh-it's Hao and Yoh!" chants like holy names of saints. The names were a lull on her head, she had said, constant buzzing on her ears demanding that Hao and Yoh would be perfect. Yukihira had agreed, of course, noting that giving birth could probably drive mothers to a temporary madness.

Hao and Yoh grew fast like other babies; their tiny limbs outgrew their sleeves so quick that he thought he bought new clothes every other day. Yukihira loved them dearly, laughing at his friends when they said their babies cried and kept them awake at night, because Yoh and Hao didn't. They rarely cried-Yoh might cry more often than Hao, though, and he fell asleep of exhaustion eventually in the end.

Hao was extremely intelligent, too. Sometimes he thought that his older son actually smiled in amusement-rather than innocent laughs-when his wife making faces at him. Or laughed at them when they shook a rattle for him. As an ordinary human, Yukihira shrugged this off.

It was the usual time of the month when the married couple had dinner outside and left their babies home with a baby sitter. There was a routine after they came back: the sitter was sitting on the kitchen table, reading her kindle©; they asked how their babies had been and she cooed with adoration that Hao and Yoh had been great and no, they were not making troubles! Yes, they were sleeping soundly right now!

So according to the routine they checked their babies, peeping through the slightly opened door to expect two identical faces asleep. However, that one time the couple found them awake-albeit lying down and covered with blankets-babbling.

"Yaa-" Hao started. "Yoooo-" he said again, frowning, his tiny fists flying around as if in frustration. "Yoooaahhh..."

Yukihira and his wife glanced at each other. Hao never babbled. His dictionary only consisted of "aaaa", "aaaa?", and "aaaa!". With another glance, they reached the agreement that they would not barge in.

"Yooh," Hao said, clear as a day. "Yoh." the older baby sighed, what was it on his face-relief?

"Yuna," Yukihira murmured to his wife, his stomach coiled upon seeing her brows met. Hao's first word hadn't been _mama_ but _Yoh_. That must have hurt her. Yuna shook her head and put her index finger in front of her trembling lips.

"Yoh," Hao said, moving his palm on Yoh's head in a jerky movement that should have meant stroking. Yoh turned his head a little. "Yoh, Yoh, Yoh," he said again more fiercely when Yoh didn't respond, hitting his younger brother temple.

Yukihira began to pry open the door-_Hao, Hao was hurting Yoh and his wife, he knew something was off with Hao, he knew_-but a firm hand stopped him.

Yoh hit back.

"Haaaa-" a hit, "Haawww-", another hit, "Haaoo.. Hao," hit.

Yukihira now knew that baby were capable to smirk. He fought the urge to separate them, _Yoh needed to be saved_, his heart said, but his brain said _no, Yoh was perfectly fine_. Hao was just another baby genius.

His wife hugged him tightly, an unspoken gesture to show her discomfort. They both knew something was different in Hao, but it was never talked of, as if it was a forbidden law to converse about normalcy. Yuna had always acted so blind and Yukihira was nonchalant, for Hao and Yoh had been their first children after all. They only knew what books had said about babies but they were _books_ and books were wrong sometimes.

Hao and Yoh were exactly eight months old on the next morning. "Mama," Hao said when Yuna woke him up in the morning to breast-feed him. She had been ecstatic, sobbing profusely (for she knew Hao was only _pretending_ to be the perfect son, for hearing the "mama" call for the first time had been painfully wonderful) and a big grin-_a real, real, real grin, his first real grin,_ Yukihira mulled later on that day-was formed on his face.

Hao woke Yoh up with an accidental (_calculating, deliberate_) yank on his younger brother's hand. He drawled "mama, mama, mama" in a perfect rhythm (just another baby genius, Yukihira reminded himself) and made a move to caress (_hithit__**hit**_ _he meant to hit must protect Yoh_) his brother. Yukihira didn't-_never, would never_-trust Hao and lift Yoh to his arms.

"Dadaaaaa," Yoh said sleepily, touching his nose in affection, innocent eyes blinked and Yukihira remembered five minutes ago gazing into the same eyes of Hao-_deep black like night without shooting stars_-but it wasn't quite naive as this one and he could swear he saw shadows dancing behind those irises.

"Mamaaa," Yoh said again. Yukihira whooped, throwing Yoh to the air, Yuna laughed freely, scooting close to him and he realized everything would be normal with Yoh here, that Yoh would always be their perfect boy no matter how _progressed_ Hao was, and he would never be the least-favorite son.

**q**q**q**

When Hao and Yoh turned a year and three months year old, they were able to walk. Yukihira and Yuna just came back from the usual dinner out and Hao had walked to Yuna right after they opened the door. Surprise, surprise, they, no, Hao seemed to grow up every time they went out and it was as if Yoh was forcefully dragged to grow up with his older brother. _Or I'm just looking too deep into this_, Yukihira decided finally.

Yuna had been truly happy and Yukihira played the role of perfect husband dutifully, laughing and running to the end of their narrow hall while motioning Hao to follow him. Wobbly feet followed him afterwards, Hao was the flawless son after all, and Yukihira swirled him in the air.

The couple didn't expect Yoh to pop and walk too, of course. Yoh was... lazy, so to say. He barely crawled and walked with support. Yukihira found out that he could crawl after his mother-in-law had come to check on the boys. She didn't know that if a) Yoh stared at you without blinking b) babbled incoherently c) opened and closed his palm repeatedly; he wanted something that you hold. Yoh had sobbed after not getting what he wanted and the young couple had panicked because Yoh rarely cried and they always gave what he wanted anyways. It shocked them how the faint cries stopped suddenly and Yoh _crawled_. He crawled to his grandmother feet and _voila_, he got the shiny object (an orange). There were not even unshed tears, as if all this time Yoh had manipulated them because he didn't want to move and take it himself. Yukihira hypothesized Yoh perhaps had decided that crying was more tiring than crawling, but again, sometimes he made things up because he was used to make sense of Hao's every action.

True, Yoh didn't even shift when they checked on him, but when Yuna tossed an orange in the air, Yoh walked awkwardly to her.

q**q**q

When the twins were three and Hao appeared to understand _English_, they brought the boys to a child psychiatrist. Yukihira and Yuna always talked in _Japanese_, for God's sake! An English-speaking relative came to spend the night at their house one time and he had played with the boys, all the while fussing and speaking in English, and Hao understood her perfectly. "Now take the red tank," the twins' aunt had said, and Hao took the red tank although there were yellow and green ones. "Hey little guys, do you know where the Lego is?" and Hao pointed to a bag of Legos in the corner of the play-room. The aunt didn't seem to realize this and Yukihira then reread "My Baby is a Genius" book, looking for a line where a three-year old baby could understand two languages.

Yuna had had enough of these insecurities and they brought them to a psychiatry (_should've brought them to a shaman_, Yukihira thought bitterly, _Hao is certainly possessed_) because usually an over-genius baby was autistic, or having low EQ, or something was just off from him.

The doctor somehow managed to pull off "I-am-a-cat" fashion without intending to. He had faint cat-like whiskers on his cheeks and grins like a Cheshire cat. He also gave Yoh an ancient three-claw necklace which smelled like earth. Yuna saved this deep on her drawer because she insisted it was dirty.

They were hesitant to leave the babies with him alone, but the doctor ("Matamune," the raspy voice purred, "call me Matamune.") sweet-talked them to it. The result was surprising: Hao was an average baby. Yoh was more than average, but that was not the point.

Before Matamune explained the result, he gently asked them to leave the toddlers in the play-room (_Hao, bring Hao out of here, _that was the underlying statement). Yukihira understood but Yuna threw the doctor a dirty look just because, and Hao had the decency to look entertained.

"Yoh is an intelligent boy," Matamune started off. Yoh seemed to be lazy, blah-blah-blah; they had long known who Yoh was. Yukihira was more nervous to hear Hao's result.

"Hao is... interesting," the doctor continued, and Yuna-who later said she disliked the doctor-shot another look at him. Interesting was not choice of word to describe a baby, after all. "He is extremely intelligent. Look at his score," Matamune said; short-nailed index finger tapped a box in a tune. Yukihira eyed it distrustfully, imagining the doctor would flex his hand and grow claws.

"Twenty-six out of fifty," Yuna muttered, her voice alleviative.

"That number proved that he is ordinary," Matamune carried on, and Yukihira wondered whether he would be offended that his son was called ordinary in other circumstances. "but," the doctor stressed (_always the but_s, the young father knew there would be a _'but'_ somewhere, but he couldn't help hoping it wouldn't exist), "his responses were not random. Look at this," the same tan index finger ran on the length of the paper.

Yukihira scanned over the small boxes quickly and failed to find the special qualities of Hao's answers, but then he discovered the pattern.

"T-F-T-F-T," he read aloud, "F-F-T-T-F-F-there's a pattern," he enunciated. "F-F-T-F-F-T-what does this mean?"

"It looks like he's _mocking_ us, yeah?" Matamune said with a grin and Yukihira agreed silently. The doctor could see the horror on their face apparently, so he settled down by countering, "just kidding. He's simply clever and craving for attention."

_It's not funny_, Yukihira wanted to say. Yuna looked like she was ready to go anywhere but here. The couple stood up simultaneously like it was a rehearse, lying phrases of thanks through gritted teeth and bowing. Before Yukihira opened the door, though, he turned around.

"One more thing," he said hesitantly, throwing a quick look to his wife who eyed him carefully. "Yoh... he often stares into space,"

"It's called daydreaming, Yukihira-san, it's _normal_," Matamune responded with a grin, baring his sharp canine teeth. Yuna shuddered visibly beside him.

"Sometimes he... talks to thin air. Communicates to something I can't see."

"It's called _imaginary friends,_ Yukihira-san," the doctor replied without missing a beat.

_Imaginary friends_, Yukihira thought. _Well, I could live with that_. He bowed one more time, ignoring Matamune's blatant worry tone when mentioning 'imaginary friends'.

**q**q**q**

Before he knew, the twins were already entering high school. People could tell them easily apart: they were so different in both personality and appearance, they just happened to be twins.

On the first day of school, Yukihira was worried for Hao kept his hair long-black tresses that he recognized was his wife's-because its femininity could attract bullies. Yoh's lazy, laid back attitude, on the other hand, would attract annoyed seniors and made his life hell.

Well, at least that was high school movies all about.

But nothing happened. True he heard of some seniors got several-degree burns for some unknown reasons, but besides that, all was well. Yoh said the seniors loved him, he didn't know why, and Hao just flashed the enigmatic smile of his when asked.

And life had been... normal.

Or Yukihira was just used to their peculiarities.

"Where are you going?" Hao asked, putting a stop on his absent-minded state. Hao didn't comment on the fact that Yukihira had stuck on the same page for a long time (Hao always noticed every single thing, _always_).

"A movie," a lighter voice returned. At first Yukihira thought they had identical voice, but Yoh always had his light, fainéant tone of his and Hao had aristocratic, archaic air with his.

"With whom?" Hao questioned, making his way to Yoh. Yukihira watched them behind his newspaper with small interest. Hao had always been intrusive of Yoh's business-it was an old news on his household.

"Maria," Yoh answered, putting wireless earphone to his ear. Hao abstractedly pull out some hair strands that stuck with the ear buds with an elegant forefinger, running the remaining four fingers down his brother's neck in the process.

"Who?" Hao repeated.

"A girl from my dojo," Yoh said, taking a black coat from the hanger. "I will introduce her to you next time."

"Girlfriend?" Hao asked, face blank, his tone was familiar but Yukihira couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"It's suddenly _hot_ in here," Yoh said, brows puckered into a thoughtful frown. Now that he mentioned it, Yukihira felt the same.

"Very creative way to change the subject, Yoh," Hao gnarled, not affected by the abrupt change of temperature. Yoh raised an indolent eyebrow, putting on his coat even though it was hot.

"_Hao_," Yoh sighed, taking a tentative step toward his brother and cupped his cheeks.

_Oh, Hao-card,_ Yukihira remarked silently. Yoh always called Hao _'aniki*'_, but when he called him by his name, he always got what he wanted.

Yoh pressed his forehead to his older brother's easily, gaining advantage from their similar height. Yukihira continued watching, feeling foolish that he thought of looking away from the intimate contact. _Silly me_, he scolded himself. _They're brothers._

Yukihira had given up looking for the meaning of physical contacts between the twins since long time ago. Well, twins were supposed to have this kind of connection, right? It was normal.

"She's a _friend_," Yoh put pressure on the last word. "I don't date people easily. I just want to know her first."

"That means that you put her into consideration without me agreeing to it, _Otouto*_,"

Hao only used Otouto when he was angry. _Or jealous_, his conscience added. Sometimes Hao acted like a jealous boyfriend-but that was twin's thing, right?

"She's a good friend," Yoh dodged, heaving breath to Hao's face. Hao closed his eyes and Yukihira thought oddly that out of blue the heat became bearable. "I will introduce her to you next time you pick me up in the dojo,"

Hao nodded, face still blank and eyes still closed when Yoh pulled away.

"Have fun," he grunted out, showing an unreadable smile when Yoh grinned widely.

_Oh well_, Yukihira shrugged, repressing the urge to blush upon the strident display of affectionate fight.

It's twin's thing, right?

**q**q**q**

*aniki = older brother, outoto = little brother.

**AN/: Reviews, constructive criticisms, appreciations, are welcomed. I think this two-shots is really sketchy **** what do you think? **


End file.
